Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Good Art to Copy From Comic Covers

The quickest way to teach yourself all these principles I've been talking about is to copy drawings that use them. A lot of 1940s comic books were drawn by professional animation artists who knew their principles well. They would especially knock themselves out on the covers.These all havegood compositionslines of actionconstruction - perspectivehierarchynegative spaces

and on top of all that - interesting and tricky camera angles

If you copy these drawings, do it step by step from the basic elements first and then on down level by level to the final details. (Like how I broke down Tom) Don't start with the wrinkles, stripes, spots, textures etc. Do those last - and keep them small and not sticking out too much from the silhouettes.Ignore the clothes when you first break down these drawings. Draw Goofy's head right through his neck and into his torso in a continuous smooth line of action. Then on top of that, wrap the clothes around his construction. Same with Mickey.These animal balloons look complex at first, but they aren't if you ignore the details and draw the solid forms first. Then wrap the details, layer by layer onto the forms.

This won't be easy at first, but the more you do it, the sooner it will all make sense and you will start to gain skill and confidence.Then you can crap on the folks who refuse to learn anything traditionally and still can't draw anything remotely professional or appealing. They will be so jealous of you. And you'll get the better job.

I remember when I was a child (about 10 years old) I used to go to my local art school, at the comic-cartoon class, where they did teach us in a similar way you do –but without so many good examples and material. They told us about construction and different levels. And they told us to copy, copy, copy. But not from great cartoon artists, but for anything we liked at all.

I don't blame them for that, it was just an out-of-school activity to get us away from home and get to know friends and learn something. I actuallly learned a lot; just like now... actually I think i'm doing kind of a master with yout blog, John.

Now I'm working in a digital text book publisher; and we have to draw insanely fast to get all books in time for the next course. I feel bad because I don't have time to think about what I am going to draw, but just get the pencil and do what I can so I can move fast to the next one. And it's really difficult to get drawings you're satisfied with that way. Have you ever been in that squeezed timing?

Exactly, craigP. The best advice I read from this blog was to design your character's poses based on a story in mind (paraphrased by me). This way the poses look and feel more organic than your generic 'oh, wait, I'm so sad' pose. Why is your character sad? And then what happens? Why? etc.

By the way: it's a chance to study great line art, controlled but organic and natural at the same time. Far from the stiff line art from nowadays (automatic “thick outlines-thin innerlines”, the “illustrator” look, etc.)

I generally dislike the the look of the characters in Looney Tunes (and much of the Lantz) comic art in a way that I don't dislike similar stuff from the other studios (in the classic period; all the comics eventually were bad). Maybe it's because I like the LT and Lantz stuff more than the other studios, so I was programmed to expect a certain look more than for the others. That Rocking Horse Thieves cover is nice tho.

Since I'm still pretty busy, I've decided to increase my input, and, as a result, my output. I'm taking these covers (plus the Preston Blair book, several Bob Clampett model sheets, and stuff I like of yours, John) and I'm making them into a Xeroxed Animator's Bible.

So basically you say we should draw the skeletons/wire frames/basic shapes underneath our figures before the details? That's what makes them solid? All this time I was sitting around trying to figure out what makes something a solid figure--I guess if it looks like you could move it all right in a three-d space, it's solid. Aaaah. Enlightenment.

What surprises me is that...well...to be honest, that's such a basic concept. Even if you're not doing cartooning you ought to be doing the shapes first, right? Or am I a complete nutcase for assuming that this was one of the first things an artist is supposed to learn, along with how to use media etc etc?

I don't think I'm being very clear. But I think I just grasped something, thank you.

Also, if I were to critique it myself I'd say that porky needs more skull on top, bugs' head is too big and too tilted forward, and something went wrong in the lower arm/hand area on porky. Porky has buggy eyes and his nose is pointing up too high. Bug's lifted arm doesn't curve out and back enough, it's too up and down. The reins on the horse are too symmetrical and wide on the bottom loop. The perspective on the front of the horse's nose is crooked.

Very much looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Also a question: I imagine that once I have done enough of these copies, I will be able to place the strokes in one smooth go. Right now I methodically go lightly over and over the same line until it has the right curve and position. Any tips on line quality, or is it just repetition?